Update: On Thursday, October 14th, federal Judge Roger Vinson greenlighted the challenge to the Health Care Reform legislation which was signed into law last spring to go forward to trial. Florida had been selected for the filing by the group of filing parties as being more likely to give a favorable ruling. A similar challenge was thrown out by a federal judge in Michigan last week, Judge Caram Steeh ruling in Detroit.
Now that the constitutional challenge is definitely going forward, it is even more appropriate than ever to ask Governor Pawlenty if he is going to follow through on his media-slut appearances last spring, much of it contributing to fund raising. This becomes a more interesting question in view of Pawlenty's interest in being a presidential candidate in 2012, in the midst of that position declining in popularfity by all but the more ultra-conservative base.
A cynical person, like myself, wonders if this is because it is no longer expedient for Palwenty to try to profit from this particular 'Moral Panic'. If that is the case, then it is all the more entertaining to press the question, what is TPaw going to do about his much promoted health care legal challenge? Tick tock tick tock tick tock.....
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Last spring, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty was all over the media, especially Fox News, making boastful claims that he was going to sue on behalf of Minnesota, that he was joining the legal challenge by 20 other states to the Health Care Reform Legislation.
Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson, said "Whoa!" and "NO!" She is the only constitutionally designated, elected, legal member of Minnesota State government who could make that decision ---- and she supported the health care reform.
Smart lady lawyer, she gave TPaw the necessary permission for him to file an amicus brief against the legislation, making it clear she would file an amicus brief onbehalfof Minnesota in favor of the legislation.
TPaw then made a lot of additional rounds of the media, boasting about what he was going to do.
That was six months ago. The clock is ticking on TPaw's time in office. TPaw is travelling extensively, outside the state of Minnesota. Many believe he is trying to position himself to run for President in 2012.
What he is NOT doing is following through on any of his boasts in the media.
It's been six months TPaw. Are you going to do anything, or are you hoping that the subject will go away, now that the hoopla against health care reform has died down.
But TPaw, I want to know about those promises. I'm reasonably sure I'm not the only one who is curious.
Crickets. Just crickets.
Whether sentiment against the health care bill is falling, the right is still talking about repealing it.
ReplyDeleteTPaw has ever been a political chameleon - he knows how to play his cards. He has zero chance of being Presidennt and next to zero of being the VP candidate. He is not southern and does not bring enough electoral votes as the VP candidate to matter. Nor is he rabidly conservative enough to fire up the base. He was a fool to think otherwise, his party has left him as decidedly as it left McCain.